Mountain Province

Mountain Province is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc. Mountain Province was formerly referred to as Mountain in some foreign references. The name is usually shortened by locals to Mt. Province.
The province was named so for being in the Cordillera Central mountain range found in the upper realms of Luzon island.
Mountain Province was also the name of the historical province that included most of the current Cordillera provinces. This old province was established by the Philippine Commission in 1908, and was later split in 1966 into Mountain Province, Benguet, Kalinga-Apayao and Ifugao.
The province is also known for its mummy caves, which contain naturally mummified bodies, and for its hanging coffins.
History
Spanish colonial era
The area of the Cordillera mountains proved difficult to control by the Spaniards. During the long Spanish rule, not much was done to bring the province under control. From 1566 to 1665, they sent expeditions to conquer the land but the rugged terrain and hostile indigenous population at the time were major obstacles to complete subjugation. The first serious effort to subjugate them was made in 1785 when soldiers were sent from Cagayan to put down a revolt of the Kalingas. A famous Spanish explorer, Guillermo Galvez, conducted more than 40 forays to the mountainous region.
Formerly called La Montañosa by the Spanish colonizers due to its mountainous terrain, the area was subdivided into 6 comandancias politico-militar.
American colonial era
On August 19, 1908, during the American rule, the Philippine Commission enacted Act No. 1876, which organized the entire area of the Cordilleras into one large province, named Mountain Province.
The first governor was Samuel Cane, and the town of Bontoc was made the capital. It was originally composed of the sub-provinces of Amburayan, Apayao, Benguet, Lepanto-Bontoc, Ifugao and Kalinga.
Amburayan was later abolished in 1920 and its corresponding territories were transferred to the provinces of Ilocos Sur and La Union. Lepanto was also reduced in size and its towns were integrated into the sub-provinces of Bontoc and Benguet, and to the province of Ilocos Sur.
Philippine independence
Effective on April 7, 1967, Republic Act No. 4695 abolished the old Mountain Province, converting its sub-provinces into 4 independent provinces: Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao and Mountain Province (corresponding to the former Bontoc sub-province).
Mountain Province would have been significantly affected by the Chico River Dam Project during the Marcos administration, as the Marcos regime's project would have flooded the municipalities of Sabangan, Sagada, Sadanga, Bontoc, Bauko, and parts of Barlig. However, the indigenous peoples of Kalinga Province and Mountain Province resisted the project and when hostilities resulted in the murder of Macli-ing Dulag, the project became unpopular and was abandoned before Marcos was ousted by the 1986 People Power Revolution coup de etat.
On June 15, 1987, the Cordillera Administrative Region was established upon the issuance of Executive Order 220 by then-President Corazon Aquino, and Mountain Province was made one of its provinces.
Geography
Mountain Province covers a total area of occupying the central section of the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. The province is bordered on the north by Kalinga, east by Isabela, south by Ifugao, southwest by Benguet, west by Ilocos Sur, and northwest by Abra.
Situated within the Cordillera Central, Mountain Province is 83% mountainous while 17% make up hills and levels. The province has many rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and caves. The central and western areas of the province are characterized by rugged mountains and steep cliffs, while the eastern portion has generally sloping terrain.
Administrative divisions
Mountain Province comprises ten municipalities, all encompassed by a lone legislative district.
Barangays
Mountain Province has 144 barangays comprising its 10 municipalities.
As of 2010, the most populous barangay in the province is Poblacion in the municipality of Paracelis, with a total of 5,687 inhabitants. Balintaugan in the municipality of Bauko has the least population with only 144.
Demographics
The population of Mountain Province in the 2020 census was 158,200 people, with a density of .
Based on the 2000 census survey, Kankana-ey comprised of the total provincial population of 140,339. Balangao/Baliwon came in second at , and Bontoc at . Other ethnicities were the Ilocano at , Applai at , Binontok at , and Kalinga at .
Religion
Anglicanism predominates in the province with approximately 60% adherence with the other religions such as Roman Catholicism, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Iglesia Filipina Indepiendente, Iglesia ni Cristo and Free Believers in Christ Fellowship Members Church of God International (MCGI)
Mountain Province is the only predominantly Protestant province in the Philippines.
Economy
Tourism
The province has several rice terraces in seven of its different towns:
Ambasing Rice Terraces — Sagada
Bangaan Rice Terraces — Sagada
Bangen Rice Terraces — Bauko
Barlig Rice Terraces — Barlig
Bayyo Rice Terraces — Bontoc
Besao Rice Terraces — Besao
Bontoc Poblacion Rice Terraces — Bontoc
Bucas Rice Terraces — Besao
Bulongan Rice Terraces — Sagada
Dalican Rice Terraces — Bontoc
Fidelisan Rice Terraces — Sagada
Focong Rice Terraces — Sadanga
Kapayawan Rice Terraces — Bauko
Kiltepan Rice Terraces — Sagada
Maligcong Rice Terraces — Bontoc
Natonin Rice Terraces — Natonin
Sadanga Rice Terraces — Sadanga
Suyo Rice Terraces — Sagada
Tanulong Rice Terraces — Sagada
The mountainous province also offers excellent mountain climbing experiences with two of its mountains among the top 10 highest points in the Philippines:
Mount Kalawitan, 2,714+msl - Sabangan
Mount Amuyao or Mount Finaroy, 2,702+msl - Barlig
Government
List of recent governors
2001–2004 — Sario M. Malinias
2004–2010 — Maximo B. Dalog
2010–2016 — Leonard G. Mayaen
2016–present — Bonifacio C. Lacwasan Jr.
References
External links
Provinces of the Philippines
Provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region
States and territories established in 1908
1908 establishments in the Philippines